One Of A Kind Treasures - Pink Friday!

One of a Kind Treasures 
By: Joyce Lucas, Founder 

Remember the days when we wanted to be like everyone else? We wanted to have the same clothes, same hairstyles, same…. everything. Only the very brave dared to be one of a kind. 

Sometimes it takes courage to say "I am different. I will be one of a kind." But over time, you discover that what makes a thing, or a person, unique is often the same thing that makes them beautiful.  Taking chances, standing out, can make you a trendsetter and everyone else followers.

At Make Mine Pink, one thing each boutique owner has in common with the others is that her boutique is one of a kind.  Our boutique owners are always on the lookout for unique and special one of a kind and vintage treasures that are rich in history. Each treasure in our shops comes with a story, and no two stories are the same.

When you browse through the shops at Make Mine Pink, you'll discover unique handcrafted pieces designed and produced by our artists and boutique owners.  They hunt through flea markets, thrift stores, unique design shops. They peek in corners everyone else has forgotten to discover treasures everyone else has overlooked. Every bauble, piece of fabric, abandoned item they find might be a gem waiting to be unearthed. 

Each piece in the Make Mine Pink boutiques is designed and created to give its owner a product that can be treasured for years to come. In our shops you’ll find some of the latest trends, many handcrafted by our boutique owners, right here in the United States.

When you shop at Make Mine Pink, you can feel confident that many of your purchases are one of a kind. A piece of art that is unique in its own right, as original as you!

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I'm all about One Of A Kind Treasures! That is what keeps my creative juices flowing. I love making something fresh and new and totally unique! So I'm actually sewing as fast as I possibly can to bring you a SPRING bouquet of unique and beautiful accessories for this very special Pink Friday!  Please come and visit our Pink Friday page and take a peak, and don't hesitate if you see something you love, everything will be OOAK!!

The Feathered Nest

When I ran my drawing for the Amy Butler pattern, my winner was Dawn of The Feathered Nest. I was so happy to have a new visitor to my site sign up for my newsletter and leave a comment to enter the drawing. Little did I know that I would become such an enamoured fan or her blog, but I have fast become addicted to it! Dawn is extraordinarily talented, and that is an understatement for sure! Many of you are probably already aware of her art as it has been featured in Somerset Studio ... I am just way behind the curve here, but catching in quick!

Dawn made a very sweet post on her blog about the package she won in my drawing and I was just tickled to be even mentioned on such an amazing blog! I'm spending a lot of time there just enjoying all the eye candy and creativity and learning about Dawn and her work. I'm such a giddy new fan!

 I just had to share with anyone and everyone about her amazing creative works. I was posting a comment on her blog and just below the comment box her slideshow was going and I found myself mesmerized by all the gorgeous works of art she creates.  This image from her slideshow (you must go and look at the whole thing!) caught my eye because I have a platter just like that and I am just flabbergasted that she has this kind of vision to turn something pretty but ordinary into such a lovely piece of art.

 I know where I'll be going anytime I need to be inspired, motivated, and just happy!! Oh, and she has fantastic TUTORIALS... she shows those of us who are not as visionary as she is how to make gorgeous art for our own homes!  What could be better than that? Um, being able to buy her art maybe? She does have an Etsy shop . 

Oh My Gosh! Ok, I'm going to start sounding like a stalker here soon ... I just looked at Dawn's bio and found that she has another blog, The Feathered Nest, Too,  totally dedicated to featuring her favorite links! What a directory of beauty, talent, wonder, inspiration, and fun! I see some of my Pink Sister's sites listed on there too! YAY! 

 Hmmm,  maybe getting her to come and be a Pink Sister with us over at MakeMinePink would be better so we could have her creative mind and energy with us all the time!  Dawn, come and visit us on our MMP forum! You'll fall in love with us and our work as much as we will (are!) with you and your work! 

Pink Friday Christmas Sale!!

OH GOODIE! The time has come to dive into your Christmas shopping head first! And there's no better place to shop than from the comfort of your own home, browsing at your leisure all the fabulous shops participating in Christmas at Make Mine Pink , a Pink Friday Christmas shopping extravaganza!  Today we kick off our Holiday Shopping Series of Pink Fridays! 

I am so excited about Christmas and I can't wait to shop with all my friends at Make Mine Pink to find perfect gifts for my family and friends. Doing the bulk of my shopping online really eases the stress and makes the holidays so much more enjoyable. I have more time for parties and fellowship, baking cookies, decorating the house, visiting with family and friends, and yes, I do venture out to the shopping centers and town squares to shop as well, and having already taken care of much of my shopping online, I'm able to relax and take in all the sensations, smells, sounds, and just breathe in all the wonder of the season.  

Did you know that Mama's Pocketbook and ALL of the Pink Friday Shop Owners are meticulous about packaging and customer service? Oh yes!!  That is a big deal to us! We take great pride and extra measures to make our customers happy. Every purchase is carefully packaged and many include little extra gifts with purchase, or free gift wrapping, gift certificates, customized products, and above all, excellence in customer service. That is always the RULE, never the exception. Our customers are our the best and we treat them like royalty! 

So let's get moving...  Go to my PINK FRIDAY HOLIDAY SALES PAGE NOW!!

Don't hesitate when you find that perfect gift, many are one-of-a-kind and you don't want to miss out on the chance ... you know you'll be smacking your forehead later if you wait!! And no one wants to sport big bruises on their forehead in their holiday photos!! 

I have really gotten into the holiday spirit with deep discounts on lots of great items!  Like $10 off this One of a Kind Victoria Black Rose Pocketbook. I expect someone will grab this beauty by the end of the day today! Don't forget it comes with accessories, a matching tissue holder and I'll even throw in a matching card case! 

And of course there's always the mints, and some of the sweetest smelling soap from my friend Marie at SavonMarie! Oh it is heavenly! And who knows what else I might pack up with your lovely new pocketbook? Christmas is all about the giving in my book  - and in my pocketbooks!

I also have some treasures for the sewing enthusiasts -Mama's Pocketbook Gift Baskets! One is overflowing with vintage sewing goodies and fabrics, and the other contains an adorable kit for making Mommy & Me Aprons! 

There are more photos of these lovely baskets on the website. You won't believe all the wonderful itmes I've stuffed into these baskets! 

Anyone who sews will absolutely adore either one (or both!) of these gift baskets.

And there's still so many more great Christmas bargains to find... 

Do you love to pour over Christmas magazines from year's past to find great recipes, decorating ideas, arts and crafts, and gift suggestions? I know I can't be the only one who loves collecting Christmas magazines! But I've memorized many in my collection and it's time to share! So I've put together two lots of Christmas & Holiday issues of our favorite home, garden, arts & crafts, and womens' magazines. Check them out from my Pink Friday Christmas Page!

Whew, I just can't cram it all in here, I'll be here typing all day!! Just GO, and shop and see for yourself all the goodies and deals I have for you today. And remember, these prices are good TODAY ONLY!!!  HO HO HO!!! Merry Christmas and Happy Shopping!

Pink Friday - Favorite Things

Welcome back, it's already Pink Friday again ... And the Specials keep getting better and better! Looks like MakeMinePink.com has a record number of participating shops this week! It's going to be fun to look through all the shops and see what is offered up as each owner's favorite things!

I have some deals for you today! Since my favorite things are Fabrics, Sewing, Magazines and Saving Money ... I have a bit of all of those to offer.


First up.... I've taken 10% off all Amy Butler Purse Making Kits and I'm giving away a free copy of the fabulous Make Mine Pink Marketplace Catalog with each order! (Bonus the lowered price also means lowered shipping costs!)

Second deal ... These card cases really are some of my favorite things. I love having an organized purse and these little cuties do the job in style! So TODAY ONLY, I"m offering them for only $5.00 each! But wait ... there's more! Buy 4 - get 1 Free!! - and yes, there's even more! Use coupon code 2shipping to get $2.00 shipping (first class) on any quantity!



I am also sorting though stacks and stacks of magazines and will be offering sets of great decorator magazines as well as some great NEW Decorating Books. Oh how I love decor mags and books!

So go and enjoy the Pink Friday event, Please visit my Pink Friends and don't forget the holidays are just around the corner - stock up now on your gifts and they will come to you - you save money, gas, time and energy and you will make everyone jealous when you are taking it easy ... all, "I'm done already with my shopping!"

Pink Carpetbag Bliss!

UPDATE: The New DHD Elegance Carpet Bag is Now Available For Ordering on My Website

This is pure PINK inspiration at it's best. Even I am drooling over my latest creation! It all started just a couple of days ago, when I saw a really cool, huge carpet bag at Horchow, with a really huge price tag to match ($1,000.00)! Ok, so the fabric on that Horchow bag was hand embroidered and it's from a German designer, but I live in the real world and that's quite a chunk of change.

But ... I was inspired and I had already decided a while back that I'd like to add a larger "carpetbag" style to my line, so after some lively discussion with my Pink Sisters over at Make Mine Pink, I was really feeling the creative energy build.

Of course everyone agreed a pink carpetbag would be ideal, and I had just the fabric for it! I bought this damask a while back and it was a major splurge, but that little fabric buying junkie that sits on my shoulder and whispers in my ear actually shouted at me to buy it, so I did. I didn't know what I'd do with it, which is oftentimes the case when I buy fabric, but I digress...

So, ok, I was thinking, yeah, this is good! This is exciting! I'll create a carpetbag as soon as I finish my current orders and as soon as I get my new Pink October bags ready to launch on Oct. 1st. But this bag would not be put aside. Oh no, it is far too special! The universe shifted when I locked onto this idea of the Pink Carpetbag and it took over and viola ... manifested overnight!

Further inspiration came in the form of an opportunity to bid on an MMP spotlight ad that came available at the last minute.Seriously. I bid late yesterday on it, and THEN decided, hey... I'll make that Pink Carpetbag just in case I win the spot! I'm telling ya, the stars were aligned on this one. I went into the "zone" yesterday and with scissors snipping and fibers flying, and leaving an aftermath of brown paper trimmings, various buckles, buttons and threads lying about along with several Diet Coke cans, coffee cups and empty packets of 100 Calorie Lorna Doone snacks, I worked until the wee hours of the morning.

Somewhere around 2 AM, after executing a particularly tricky seam just right ... or so I thought, I discovered my bobbin thread had run out. I took that as a sign and went to bed, remembering that my wee kiddos still needed me to get up in the wee hours and take them to school. I figured I'd grab a nap when I got back home, right after Coffee Chat at MMP.

Oh was I wrong! I guess somewhere along the way I figured someone surely had outbid me on the ad, but it was good to get that bag started anyway. Then the announcement. I WON THE BID. Holy cow. You know how they say be careful what you wish for. They are not kidding. At least be ready for getting what you wish for!

So I panicked for about 10 minutes then whatever dominant writer/creator gene it is that I possess kicked in (writers are notorious for working best under pressure) and I shifted into overdrive. I just barely beat the clock, but I got this gorgeous bag to the photo finish line just in time for the ad deadline. Whew. Now I can rest. Think I'll post my handiwork on the MMP forum and then maybe grab a catnap.

Well, I'll be darned if my good friend, the most illustrious BLOG QUEEN, Sharon of C'est Chouette didn't snag my first Pink Carpetbag right out of the gate! She's a go-getter that Sharon. You have to stay on your toes around her. So, this first one is her's and it'll be heading out on the midnight plane to Dallas tomorrow to be waiting for her when she arrives at the fabulous Hilton Anatole Hotel where the lucky lady is going to be enjoying the most exciting event in years ... The Victoria BLISS 2007 Event!

I wanted to go to that sooooo much. Victoria is my all time favorite magazine (and I'm a confirmed magazineaholic, so that is a strong statement) So just to know that Sharon will be there representing MMP and that she'll be toteing around my newest creation, the PINK CARPETBAG, well that is pure enough Bliss for me.

I'm really beginning to see how things come full circle sometimes when I listen to that voice that whispers in my ear!

Thank you to all for the wonderful comments!!

Welcome to My Fabulous Fall Tea Party!

What an amazing week this has been for all those making the rounds to all the gorgeous Make Mine Pink Virtual Tea Parties!

Isn't this the most fun thing ever? I'm meeting so many wonderful, creative women and I'm simply overwhelmed by the sweet comments and new sites and blogs I'm discovering. Thank you all for visiting me and waiting for me to catch my breath long enough to put together my Fall Tea Party.

As promised I have some delicious recipes to share with you today! First we'll start with a big mug of spiced tea. Yes! I did say MUG! Fall is here ... at least inside my happy little tea room! It's a sunny, but cool Indian Summer day, the leaves are turning, the breeze is blowing, and this spiced tea is steamy and yummy just for you!

Would you like to try some of my Soft Southern Chocolate Chip Pecan Pralines?

1 1/2 ea Sticks unsalted butter

1 c Sugar

1 c Packed, light brown sugar

1 c Milk

1/2 c Heavy cream

1 c Coarsely chopped pecans

2 c Whole pecan halves

2 T Vanilla extract

1 1/2 c Semisweet chocolate chips - Chilled!

Gather all the ingredients and utensils before starting to cook.

(Measure out the chocolate chips and keep in refrigerator until needed.)

Utensils:

A large, heavy-bottomed aluminum pot or skillet with deep sides

A long-handled metal whisk or spoon

2 large spoons (or an ice cream scoop with a manual release)

A very lightly greased cookie sheet.

Directions:

Melt the butter in the pot over high heat; add the sugars, milk, cream and chopped pecans.

Cook 5 minutes, whisking constantly.

Reduce heat to medium, continue cooking and whisking for 10 minutes.

Add the pecan halves and continue whisking and cooking until done,

about 8 to 10 minutes.

Lower the heat toward end of cooking time.

Stir in vanilla

Immediately drop about 1/4 cup of chocolate chips into about one-sixth of the batter.

Stir quickly and just enough to cover some of the chips with batter

but not enough to allow the chips to melt.

Quickly drop the chocolate mixture onto the cookie sheet by heaping spoonfuls,

using the second spoon to push the batter off the first spoon,

or use ice cream scoop

Each praline should be about 2 inches wide by 1/2 inch thick.

Repeat dripping mixture, stirring again before adding more chocolate chips.

The cooled pralines should be light brown, soft and crumbly.

Are you ready for Fall? or if you are visiting from "down under" you should be ready for Spring right? Either way, please tell me all your plans for Fall! I love hearing your plans!

Please keep reading - as I have some surprises for you!

I adore the changing of the seasons, it's like getting a new lease on life. I love everything about Fall ... the colors, the air, the leaves, football games, county fairs, wearing sweaters, going to the Fall Festivals and Arts & Crafts Shows, ohh they are so much fun! I can't wait for my favorite t.v. shows to return for the new season.

I also have lots and lots of exciting plans going on for Fall at Mama's Pocketbook to share with you, so please come back tomorrow for more new recipes... and news, and more fun!

So, if you leave a comment today, you'll be entered into a random drawing tomorrow for my little blog prize giveaway just for fun!

Now, let's see... what shall I give to the lucky poster who comments today (Wednesday)? How about a nice lavender sachet warming pouch! Pop it in the microwave for one minute and lay it over your forehead or your eyes to ease away tension, or place on sore muscles for a fragrant soother. This would be perfect to help you relax while you enjoy some more spiced tea!

I'll post a picture of the sachet a little later today

and after I have some spiced tea to wake me up because...

I was up extra late last night making sure my tea was just right

and I was chatting and burning the midnight oil with my friend Roxie!

You all know Roxie don't you?

Roxie of Jorabeels! Sure you know her!

Well Roxie has been hard at work and has a surprise of her own for everyone today!

The unveiling of her new website

Roxie has taken an absolutely brilliant idea and turned it into ...

JorabeelsInk.com

PLEASE... Do youself a favor... YOU MUST VISIT HER NEW SITE TODAY!!

And please come back to see me for tea again tomorrow... and more recipes, and more prizes!

Have a beautiful Wednesday!

Come to the Best Tea Party Ever!

Fill your week with Tea Parties !!!
Starting Monday September 10, have a fun filled week with the
Make Mine Pink Bloggers as they host a virtual Tea Party.
Visit the Mine Pink Blog for all the information and a list of participating
Make Mine Pink Blogs.
Why Tea Party? Well what can be more fun, tea for two, tea for one, a princess tea, a mother/daughter tea, best friends tea, long lost friends tea, or to just take a moment to slow down and enjoy the tea.